entail

American  

[en-teyl, en-teyl, en-teyl] / ɛnˈteɪl, ɛnˈteɪl, ˈɛn teɪl /

verb (used with object)

1. to cause or involve by necessity or as a consequence.

   a loss entailing no regret.

2. to impose as a burden.

   Success entails hard work.

3. Law. to limit the passage of (real estate) to a specified line of heirs, so that it cannot be transferred or bequeathed to anyone else.

4. Law. to cause (anything) to descend to a fixed series of possessors.

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noun

1. the act of entailing.

2. Law. the state of being entailed.

3. any predetermined order of succession, as to an office.

4. Law. something that is entailed, as an estate.

5. Law. the rule of descent settled for an estate.

entail British  

/ ɪnˈteɪl /

verb

1. to bring about or impose by necessity; have as a necessary consequence

   this task entails careful thought

2. property law to restrict (the descent of an estate) to a designated line of heirs

3. logic to have as a necessary consequence

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noun

1. property law

   1. the restriction imposed by entailing an estate

   2. an estate that has been entailed

Other Word Forms

• entailer
  noun
• entailment
  noun
• preentail
  verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of entail

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Middle English entailen (verb), entail (noun), equivalent to en- ¹ + tail ² ( def. )

Explanation

To entail is to involve. A job at a movie theater might entail sweeping popcorn off the floor, probably because watching a movie entails eating popcorn in the dark. It’s a small price to pay! The word entail, which comes from Latin, is connected to the idea of preconditions. If you want something, you better figure out what it entails. If it’s only 8 o’clock and you want to see a movie at 9, that will entail waiting for an hour. If you want to stay out of trouble, that will entail calling your parents and letting them know you're going to be late. That’s what being responsible entails!

Example Sentences

Hiccups could entail something as big as a train breakdown or as small as a platform door not opening.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

Common throughout the show is the juxtaposition of art that holds out optimistic visions of technology’s possibilities with works that put forward more depressing perspectives about the harms it can entail.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Substituting another gas would entail completely reconfiguring the system, says Tang.

From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026

Specifics on when the review would begin, and what it would entail, have not yet been set, but Luna said the aim is to get an outside, “unbiased view.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

How could I realize then what my promise would entail?

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

Related Words

• bring about
• call for
• encompass
• involve
• lead to
• necessitate
• require